‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’s Adaptation Is Already Avoiding Hollywood’s Biggest Mistake

Published Aug 14, 2026, 5:47 PM EDT Julio is a Senior Author for Collider. He studied History and International Relations at university, but found his calling in cultural journalism. When he isn't writing, Julio also teaches English at a nearby school. He has lived in São Paulo most of his life, where he covers CCXP and other big events. Having loved movies, music, and TV from an early age, he prides himself in knowing every minute detail about the things he loves. When he is older, he dreams of owning a movie theater in a small countryside town. Nowadays, great IP with franchise potential is what drives the streaming industry, and Peacock has just found one of the best candidates in Dungeon Crawler Carl. The LitRPG saga has become an inescapable talking point on the internet in recent years, and now it's about to get the live-action series treatment. Author Matt Dinniman is involved as an executive producer, which is a great sign, and has recently reassured fans that one of their own is at the helm of the adaptation, with Christopher Yost as head writer. But what does Yost's involvement really mean for the Dungeon Crawler Carl TV series, and why is it such a good sign? ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ Combines Elements of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and RPG It's hard to describe Dungeon Crawler Carl in a nutshell. The series leans heavily on sci-fi and fantasy, while also having its own brand of absurdist humor. That said, the premise is quite simple: a guy named Carl and his cat, Princess Donut, must survive a deadly dungeon built by aliens from Earth's remains. It's structured exactly like an RPG dungeon, getting more difficult as players reach deeper levels, also leveling up and improving their stats as they progress. All this happens because of a bureaucratic loophole that allows one of the galaxy's largest conglomerates to claim Earth and its resources by default, while building a World Dungeon for another season of the game show titled Dungeon Crawler World. Survivors are guided into the dungeon and play as crawlers, where they must fight to reach the lower levels in time and also earn popularity from the audience to get sponsors and better equipment. Mordecai, one of the NPCs Carl meets along the way, describes Dungeon Crawler World as "more a Running Man situation than a Survivor one." Many elements in the story also feel reminiscent of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, including the sheer weirdness of Carl's situation, as well as the fact that he's not wearing shoes or pants. 'Dungeon Crawler Carl's Head Writer Is a Major Fan of the Books Image via Dandy House Publishers As one can imagine, adapting Dungeon Crawler Carl into live-action won't be easy, but Dinniman has expressed excitement and confidence in the team behind the series. Early on, the author also wanted to ensure anybody "who was working on the adaptation was someone who had read it and I talked to and they understood it." According to Dinniman, Yost has been a fan since before the books blew up, and has a great understanding of the story. As complex and frenetic as Dungeon Crawler Carl's story is, it's also relatable. This is a big part of why it's become so successful recently, but only a fan understands what makes these books so special beyond the objective technicalities of storytelling, and only a fan can preserve and protect that. As a writer himself, Dinniman clearly understands this, so his approval of Yost is a great sign. Plus, Yost has experience with a lot of expansive IP under his belt, having previously written for franchises like the MCU and Star Wars. 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' Author Matt Dinniman Has a Healthy View of the Adaptation Process Image via Ace Books Whenever an adaptation of IP as wildly imaginative as Dungeon Crawler Carl is announced, fans immediately start worrying about how much could change. It's natural, since different mediums have different ways of telling the same story, but Dinniman is also at peace with this, believing having Yost on board is an advantage "as long as we keep that very important core of the story in both spirit and making it as awesome as possible." That's a very healthy approach, considering how much tension there can be between creatives during the adaptation process. There have been worrying examples of other shows struggling in this sense recently, like George R.R. Martin leaving House of the Dragon precisely because changes to his original material led to creative differences with Ryan Condal, who is also a fan of that franchise. So far, everything seems to be going right for the Dungeon Crawler Carl adaptation, so hopefully it stays that way. Fans' hopes have been answered in many ways, including with the recent casting of audiobook narrator Jeff Hays as the voice of Princess Donut. This, along with having Yost leading the writers' room, should lead to as faithful an adaptation as possible, and even what changes should be for the better. If the apocalypse will be televised, let's cross our fingers for a good one.